MN119 — Kāyagatāsatisutta

Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

Then, after the meal, on returning from their alms-round, several disciples were sitting together in the assembly hall where this conversation arose:

Amazing, friend, wonderful, friend.

How the Blessed One, knowing, seeing, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, has spoken of mindfulness of the body as developed and frequently practiced, leading to great benefit and great reward.

And while this conversation among those disciples was still in progress, the Blessed One, having emerged from seclusion in the evening, came to the assembly hall and sat down on the prepared seat.

After sitting down, the Blessed One asked the disciples:

What were you discussing just now while you were gathered here? What was the topic of your conversation that was interrupted?

Here, venerable sir, after our meal, on returning from our alms-round, sitting together in the assembly hall, this conversation arose among us:

Amazing, friend, wonderful, friend.

How the Blessed One, knowing, seeing, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, has spoken of mindfulness of the body as developed and frequently practiced, leading to great benefit and great reward.

This was our conversation, venerable sir, that was interrupted when the Blessed One arrived.

How is mindfulness of the body developed and how is it frequently practiced so that it leads to great benefit and great reward?

Here a disciple, gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, sits down; having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness in the body.

Mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out.

Breathing in long, he knows, I breathe in long; breathing out long, he knows, I breathe out long; breathing in short, he knows, I breathe in short; breathing out short, he knows, I breathe out short; he trains thus: I shall breathe in experiencing the whole body; he trains thus: I shall breathe out experiencing the whole body; he trains thus: I shall breathe in calming the bodily formation; he trains thus: I shall breathe out calming the bodily formation.

As he lives thus diligent, ardent, and resolute, the thoughts of household life are abandoned, and his mind unifies and concentrates.

This is how a disciple develops mindfulness of the body.

Furthermore a disciple, when walking, knows, I am walking; when standing, he knows, I am standing; when sitting, he knows, I am sitting; when lying down, he knows, I am lying down; or however his body is disposed, he knows it.

As he lives thus diligent, ardent, and resolute, the thoughts of household life are abandoned, and his mind unifies and concentrates.

In this way too a disciple develops mindfulness of the body.

Furthermore a disciple, in going forward and returning, has clear knowing; in looking ahead and looking away, he has clear knowing; in bending and stretching, he has clear knowing; in wearing his robes and carrying his outer robe and bowl, he has clear knowing; in eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting, he has clear knowing; in defecating and urinating, he has clear knowing; in walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, speaking, and keeping silent, he has clear knowing.

As he lives thus diligent, ardent, and resolute, the thoughts of household life are abandoned, and his mind unifies and concentrates.

In this way too a disciple develops mindfulness of the body.

Furthermore a disciple reflects on this very body from the soles of the feet up, and from the top of the hair down, enclosed by skin, as full of many kinds of impurity:

This body has hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, stomach, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, mucus, oil of the joints, and urine.

Just as if there were a bag with an opening at both ends, full of many sorts of grain, such as hill rice, wheat, red rice, beans, peas, millet, and white rice, and a man with good eyesight, having opened it, were to reflect: This is hill rice, these are beans, these are peas, these are millet, this is white rice; so too, a disciple reflects on this very body... as full of many kinds of impurity.

In this way too a disciple develops mindfulness of the body.

In this body, there are the solid parts, fluids, heat, gases, digested food, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, mucus, synovial fluid, urine, etc.

For one who is diligent, ardent, and resolute in practice, sensual thoughts are abandoned. With their abandoning, the mind becomes settled internally, stands firm, becomes unified, and concentrated. Thus a disciple develops mindfulness of the body.

Furthermore a disciple reflects on this very body as it is, in terms of elements: In this body, there are the earth element, water element, fire element, and air element. Just as if a skilled butcher or his apprentice had killed a cow and was sitting at the crossroads with it cut up into pieces; in the same way a disciple reflects on this very body...

Furthermore a disciple might see a body thrown in a charnel ground, one, two, or three days dead, bloated, livid, and oozing matter. He then applies this perception to his own body: This body too is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from that fate. For one who is diligent...

Thus a disciple develops mindfulness of the body. Furthermore a disciple might see a body in the charnel ground being eaten by various creatures... He then applies this perception to his own body.

For one who is diligent... Thus a disciple develops mindfulness of the body. Furthermore a disciple might see a body in the charnel ground reduced to a skeleton with flesh and blood, held together by sinews... a skeleton smeared with blood... a fleshless skeleton smeared with blood... a skeleton without flesh and blood... bones scattered in all directions... He then applies this perception to his own body.

For one who is diligent... Thus a disciple develops mindfulness of the body. Furthermore a disciple might see a body in the charnel ground reduced to bleached bones... bones heaped up... bones decayed into dust. He then applies this perception to his own body.

For one who is diligent... Thus a disciple develops mindfulness of the body. Furthermore a disciple, having secluded himself from sensual pleasures... enters and remains in the first jhana. He suffuses, drenches, fills, and saturates his body with the joy and happiness born of seclusion, so that there is no part of his whole body not suffused with the joy and happiness born of seclusion.

Just as a skilled bathman or his apprentice might knead bath powder in a brass basin with water, so that the ball of bath powder is soaked and saturated with moisture, enveloped inside and out yet does not ooze; in the same way a disciple suffuses his body with the joy and happiness born of seclusion. For one who is diligent...

Thus a disciple develops mindfulness of the body. Furthermore a disciple, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought... enters and remains in the second jhana. He suffuses his body with the joy and happiness born of concentration...

Just as a deep lake with spring water welling up from within, having no inflow from the east, west, north, or south, and not filled by the occasional heavy rain from the sky, yet the cool water springs up from within the lake filling it, saturating it, permeating it, and overflowing it, so that there is not a single spot in the lake that is not touched by the cool water; in the same way a disciple saturates, permeates, fills, and overflows this body with the joy and happiness born of concentration, so that there is not a single spot in his body that is not touched by this joy and happiness.

Just as in a lotus pond, some lotuses might grow and flourish while submerged in the water, thriving under the water, their entire form from tips to roots filled and pervaded by cool water without any part of the lotuses untouched by the cool water; in the same way a disciple saturates, permeates, fills, and overflows this body with the joy and happiness free from rapture, so that there is not a single spot in his body that is not touched by this joy and happiness.

Just as a man sitting wrapped from head to foot with a white cloth would be fully covered by it without any part of his body untouched by the white cloth; in the same way a disciple sits, having pervaded this very body with a pure and bright mind, so that there is not a single spot in his body that is not touched by this pure and bright mind.

For one who is diligent, ardent, and resolute, the thoughts of household life are abandoned, and the mind internally settles, becomes unified, and concentrated.

Thus a disciple develops mindfulness of the body.

For anyone who has developed and frequently practiced mindfulness of the body, the wholesome states that are beneficial become natural. Just as for anyone who has dived into the great ocean, all the streams that flow into the ocean become accessible; similarly for anyone who has developed and frequently practiced mindfulness of the body, the wholesome states that are beneficial become natural.

For anyone who has not developed or frequently practiced mindfulness of the body, Mara finds an opportunity and a foothold. Just as if a man were to throw a heavy stone ball onto a wet lump of clay, it would make an impression; similarly for anyone who has not developed or frequently practiced mindfulness of the body, Mara finds an opportunity and a foothold.

Just as a dry piece of wood could easily catch fire when a man comes with the upper fire-stick, thinking, I will produce fire and make it blaze; similarly for anyone who has not developed or frequently practiced mindfulness of the body, Mara finds an opportunity and a foothold.

Just as an empty water pot placed on a stand; then a man comes with a water carrier. What do you think would that man be able to fill the pot with water?

Yes, venerable sir.

Indeed for anyone who has not developed and cultivated mindfulness directed to the body, Mara finds an opportunity and a foothold. But for anyone who has developed and cultivated mindfulness directed to the body, Mara does not find an opportunity or a foothold.

Just as if a man were to throw a light ball of string onto a wooden peg, do you think that man would be able to make the light ball of string land on the peg? No, venerable sir. In the same way for anyone who has developed and cultivated mindfulness directed to the body, Mara does not find an opportunity or a foothold.

Just as a wet piece of wood smeared with grease; then a man comes with an upper fire-stick, thinking: I will produce fire, I will produce heat. Do you think that man would be able to produce fire and heat by rubbing the upper fire-stick on the wet, greasy wood? No, venerable sir. In the same way for anyone who has developed and cultivated mindfulness directed to the body, Mara does not find an opportunity or a foothold.

Just as a water jug filled to the brim and placed on a stand; then a man comes carrying a load of water. Do you think that man would be able to add any water to it? No, venerable sir. In the same way for anyone who has developed and cultivated mindfulness directed to the body, Mara does not find an opportunity or a foothold.

For anyone who has developed and cultivated mindfulness directed to the body, whenever they direct their mind towards any state that should be realized through direct knowing, right there they have the potential to witness it, provided they have the basis of mindfulness.

Just as a water jug filled to the brim and placed on a stand. If a strong man were to tip it, would water come out? Yes, venerable sir. In the same way for anyone who has developed and cultivated mindfulness directed to the body, whenever they direct their mind towards any state that should be realized through direct knowing, right there they have the potential to witness it, provided they have the basis of mindfulness.

Just as in a flat area there is a pond filled to the brim with water, so that it could overflow. If a strong man were to open a channel, would water flow out? Yes, venerable sir. In the same way for anyone who has developed and cultivated mindfulness directed to the body, whenever they direct their mind towards any state that should be realized through direct knowing, right there they have the potential to witness it, provided they have the basis of mindfulness.

Just as on level ground there is a chariot harnessed to thoroughbreds, ready, with the whip lying ready. A skilled charioteer, a trainer of horses to be tamed, mounts it and, taking the reins in his left hand and the whip in his right hand, he drives out and back in any direction he wishes; in the same way for anyone who has developed and cultivated mindfulness directed to the body, whenever they direct their mind towards any state that should be realized through direct knowing, right there they have the potential to witness it, provided they have the basis of mindfulness.

By developing and cultivating mindfulness directed to the body, making it a vehicle, making it a basis, establishing it, consolidating it, and properly undertaking it, ten benefits are expected. One overcomes both discontent and delight, and one is able to endure both discontent and delight. One overcomes fear and dread, and one is able to endure fear and dread. One becomes able to withstand cold, heat, hunger, thirst, the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping things, and abusive, unwelcome speech, and one becomes capable of enduring bodily feelings that, when they arise, are painful, sharp, cutting, bitter, disagreeable, distressing, and menacing to life.

One enjoys the four jhanas that constitute the higher mind and provide pleasant living here and now. One wields various kinds of psychic power: being one, one becomes many; being many, one becomes one; appears and vanishes; goes unhindered through a wall, through an enclosure, through a mountain, as though through space; dives in and out of the earth as though it were water; walks on water without sinking as though it were earth; seated cross-legged, he travels in space like a bird; with his hand he touches and strokes the moon and the sun, so powerful and mighty; he exercises mastery with the body as far as the Brahma world.

With the purified divine ear-element, he hears both kinds of sounds, the divine and the human, those that are far as well as near. He understands the minds of other beings, of other persons, having encompassed them with his own mind.

He understands a mind with attachment as a mind with attachment, a mind without attachment ... a mind with hatred ... a mind without hatred ... a mind with delusion ... a mind without delusion ... a contracted mind ... a distracted mind ... an exalted mind ... a not exalted mind ... a surpassed mind ... an unsurpassed mind ... a concentrated mind ... an unconcentrated mind ... a liberated mind ... an unliberated mind as an unliberated mind. He recollects his manifold past lives, such as one birth, two births ... thus with details and in sequence, he recollects his manifold past lives.

With the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and understands how beings pass on according to their actions.

Through the destruction of the taints, he realizes for himself with direct knowing, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having attained it, he dwells in it.

Disciples, when mindfulness of the body is developed, cultivated, made much of, used as a vehicle, established, thoroughly set up, and well undertaken, these ten benefits can be expected.

Thus spoke the Blessed One.

The disciples were pleased and delighted in the Blessed One's words.

The Discourse on Mindfulness of the Body is finished.